This came to light during interrogation of three gangsters Ravinderpal Singh Raju Ghora, Prem Kumar Bablu and Raju Ram, members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who were arrested on Wednesday from Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

Both Gaggu and Vicky Riwaz had old enmity over YAD presidency and even attacked each other before municipal corporation elections last month. However, senior leaders hushed up the matter.

A police official said the three gangsters were booked under Sections 402 (assembling for purpose of committing dacoity), 399 (making preparation to commit dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code at the Rajpura police station.

“During interrogation, it came to light that Gaggu hired them to kill Vicky and even paid advance for it,” the official said.

Not only YAD leader, even a deputy jail superintendent of Rajasthan was on the hit list, said the official.

Superintendent of police Harwinder Singh Virk confirmed that a case has been registered against Gaggu. “He is on the run and the police teams have been formed to nab him. The investigation is still on whether he had hired killers or made some payment to them,” Virk said.

Virk added that another aide of Bishnoi, Gursewak Singh, alias Bunty, is also wanted in the case.

Vicky Riwaz said he received phone calls from police to remain vigilant. “I and Gaggu are at loggerheads over presidential post of Patiala’s YAD unit. Police have asked me to remain vigilant as since both Gaggu and Bunty are at large,” he said.